Meet our President
LANA
How long have you volunteered for Urban Stable and what is your position?
I have been a volunteer with Urban Stable for four years. I am a volunteer horse handler as well as on the Board of Directors (President). (Pictured left).
What is your horse experience and qualifications? What has been your experience that gives you the skills and talents you bring to the board?
I have been riding horses for 30 years and have owned horses for the past 17 years. I ride 3-4 times a week and compete in show jumping. My horse knowledge, experience as a volunteer and my background in Human Resources and psychology helps me contribute to the Board.
What do you like about volunteering for Urban Stable?
As a volunteer, I love seeing the kids connect with the horses. It doesn’t take long for the bond to develop and you see a change in the kids as they discover the joy of spending time with horses.
As a Board member, I am excited for the direction Urban Stable is heading. For 15+ years the program has grown and evolved, and our vision is to continue to expand the program to benefit even more youth. We have an amazing team of staff and volunteers who work hard to deliver a high quality program to the students. They are ready to take the program to the next level and with the ideas, enthusiasm and dedication they have shown, I have no doubt we will get there!
What is your favourite Urban Stable memory?
I have enjoyed working with every child and horse I have come across. Some are quiet, some are chatty, some are nervous, some are brave – child and horse alike – but all have something to learn from each other. One boy I worked with would talk to his horse a lot while grooming, but struggled to make conversation and eye contact with people. By the end of the year he was walking taller and more confident, engaging people in conversation and allowing his sense of humor and intelligence to shine. When he returned the next year, he had the biggest smile on his face when he saw the horses in the barn. It was an amazing transformation from the way he walked in the year before.